Prom 63: Sir András Schiff plays 'The Well-Tempered Clavier' (Book 2) 29/30.08.18

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

ON TV
Royal Albert Hall

Johann Sebastian Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier Book 2

Sir András Schiff piano

Following his complete performance of Book 1 last year, distinguished pianist and Bach specialist Sir András Schiff returns to perform the complete Book 2. Much more than just a musical sequel, this volume pushes harmony and counterpoint further than ever before in its fascinating and uniquely challenging sequence of works.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The numbering sequence of Proms can be most confusing. This is two concerts, both numbered "63", but I'm presuming each concert contains only 12 Preludes and Fugues, different from the ones in the other concert?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

... though looking at his 2017 performance of Book 1, he played these at a single Prom, so maybe it's two identical concerts.

My point about the numbering remains valid though, as other repeated concerts are numbered separately.

[Pulcinella]

... though looking at his 2017 performance of Book 1, he played these at a single Prom, so maybe it's two identical concerts.

My point about the numbering remains valid though, as other repeated concerts are numbered separately.

Am I missing something, Alpie?
I see no mention of a repeat in the Proms Brochure.
The timing is given as 9:30pm–c12:00am (so midnight) on Wednesday 29 August.
Where has the 30 August performance appeared from, or are you saying 29/30 as it might run into the following day?

[Bryn]

Who will be the first to complain about all those wrong* notes Schiff is likely to be playing?

*Mistuned.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Am I missing something, Alpie?
I see no mention of a repeat in the Proms Brochure.
The timing is given as 9:30pm–c12:00am (so midnight) on Wednesday 29 August.
Where has the 30 August performance appeared from, or are you saying 29/30 as it might run into the following day?

No. You're not missing anything. My brain is missing a few cells. The 29/30 must indeed be because the concert could continue until the early hours of the 30th.

[BBMmk2]

Really looking forward to this Prom. Always like Schiff’s Bach playing.

[bluestateprommer]

Sir A. just completed the first 12 Preludes & Fugues of Book II. Very understandable that he is taking a mini-interval halfway through, which is also probably good for the audience. Things seem very much in spirit of what I vaguely recall from last year, namely a pretty honest, no-fuss & no-muss approach.

[Bryn]

During the interval, Doc Walker referred, without naming him, to Bradley Lehman's interpretation of Bach's squiggles at the head of Book 1 (though SW did not differentiate between Books 1 and 2). As far as I am aware, the squiggles are only found at the start of Book 1 and do not make an appearance in relation to Book 2. One must surely wonder whether Bach might have modified his views re. the apposite tuning regime between the composition of Book 1 and of Book 2. Whatever, Lehman's intgerpretation of 'Well Temprament' is not in evidence tonight. There again, neither was it for Schiff's Prom perfromance of Book 1.

[edashtav]

Sir A. just completed the first 12 Preludes & Fugues of Book II. Very understandable that he is taking a mini-interval halfway through, which is also probably good for the audience. Things seem very much in spirit of what I vaguely recall from last year, namely a pretty honest, no-fuss & no-muss approach.

I’m not able to complete the full set tonight as I’m tired following a day spent hunting for spare parts to restore an old W.C.
However, I enjoyed the first 14 preludes and fugues in Sir A.’s mature interpretation which you’ve summed up neatly, bsp: never dull nor grey, but admirably self-effacing. An A+ from me.

[doversoul1]

It may have been a great piano performance but to me, Bach on the piano is now a definite NO. I can’t understand why the BBC didn’t programme this work on the harpsichord. There are many great harpsichordist within the UK alone. It would have been an excellent opportunity for many people to hear Bach’s work on the instrument Bach wrote it for. To me, this performance emphasised what the piano doesn’t do when it comes to Bach’s major works. Don’t ask me what it doesn’t. It’s not something I can put in words.

[DracoM]

Totally agree with every last syllable.
Isn't it just a teeny tiny bit of arrogance?
'Poor JSB, if only he'd had a piano / pianist as good as me, just think what he might have created?'


Love Bach, but turned THIS off.

[kernelbogey]

It may have been a great piano performance but to me, Bach on the piano is now a definite NO. I can’t understand why the BBC didn’t programme this work on the harpsichord. There are many great harpsichordist within the UK alone. It would have been an excellent opportunity for many people to hear Bach’s work on the instrument Bach wrote it for. To me, this performance emphasised what the piano doesn’t do when it comes to Bach’s major works. Don’t ask me what it doesn’t. It’s not something I can put in words.

Writing as one who is coming around to the harpsichord for Bach, I have much sympathy for this view. But wonder whether a harpsichord would work in the RAH? Has it been tried?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

But wonder whether a harpsichord would work in the RAH? Has it been tried?

This occurred to me, too - but there have been performances of, for one example, Brandenburg 5 with its extended solo harpsichord passages: were there any complaints from the audience that these were inaudible in the Hall? (I would have had doubts about a solo 'cello or violin in that venue, but Ma and Ibragimova dispelled them pretty quickly!)

[DracoM]

So you don't have the recital in RAH!! QED.